Khinkali is a traditional dish for the Caucasus. It is found in almost every national cuisine of the Caucasus. Once upon a time, a friend from Russia living in Siberia said something like this: “I was in the Caucasus, they ate such cute ones there, they looked like a bag tied with a string, and inside there was minced meat with herbs.”

Khinkali, Azerbaijan. Xingal, Armenian Խինկալի - indeed has a lot in common with dumplings, as well as with other dishes, such as Ukrainian dumplings. The essence is meat in a dough shell, cooked in boiling water or broth.

In the mountainous regions of the Caucasus, local residents cut the meat of sheep and mountain goats with daggers to make khinkali, and added nothing to the filling except salt, pepper and wild dill. But, as a rule, the meat is minced into the filling using more modern methods and chopped herbs are added. But the most important thing is to cook them so that there is broth inside. So that the dough shell remains intact and sealed, and the broth does not spill out.

Now the requirements for meat, shape and additives in the filling are not as strict as before. And khinkali themselves have long gone beyond the boundaries of Caucasian cuisine. Meat, in the classic version - lamb or goat, is replaced with a mixture of pork and beef. The size of the products ranges from miniature, the size of a nut, to huge, like a plate. Creating pleats is an art that needs to be mastered. The more folds, the higher the class of the master. But you need at least 20 folds, no less. Learning to sculpt dough products without constant training is a long process.

Khinkali is eaten only hot, scalding. And only with your hands. No forks! It is important to eat them correctly so that the broth does not leak out of the shell. This is a whole science, and it is important to master it. Otherwise they won't understand you.

A holiday is impossible without khinkali, just like without barbecue, wine, bread, etc. I am going to master this art over time, I will even try to ask for a master class with one very respected person. Homemade khinkali can be prepared to your liking, adding a fair amount of imagination to the recipe, using meat and herbs that are available and typical for our area.

Khinkali recipe

Ingredients (30-50 pcs)

• Beef 350 gr
• Pork (fat) 250 gr
• Onions 2-3 pcs.
• Garlic 1-2 cloves
• Parsley, dill, cilantro 0.5 bunch
• Wheat flour 3 cups
• Hot pepper, black pepper, salt taste

1. Cooking khinkali consists of three stages. The first, preparing the minced meat filling, comes down to chopping the ingredients. The second is preparing dough from wheat flour. The third is shaping and boiling.

   Beef and pork for minced meat

2. Peel the onion and garlic and also chop in a meat grinder at the same time as the meat. Tear all the leaves off the greens to remove the stems and chop very finely with a knife. Although in old recipes greens are not added to minced meat, it is believed that the taste of the meat will be muted, nevertheless, greens give the broth inside the product a special taste. But whether to add greens or not – decide for yourself.

   Vegetables and herbs for minced meat

3. Mix minced meat, onion, garlic, herbs. Next, salt the minced meat to taste, pepper with ground black pepper and, if desired, add hot (bitter) pepper. If the pepper is fresh, it can be chopped very finely with a knife or minced in a meat grinder at the same time as the meat, onion and garlic.

   Mix minced meat, onion, garlic, herbs and hot pepper

4. Stir the filling very thoroughly and for a long time. Next, an important point - you need to add water to the minced meat, quite a lot of water so that during cooking a broth is formed inside the dough. Add very cooled water; you should even put the required amount of water in the refrigerator in advance. For the specified amount of meat, up to 1 glass of water is needed, depending on the situation.

   Stir the minced meat by adding cold water

5. Add water in small portions, constantly knead the minced meat. Minced meat absorbs water very well. The filling should be quite dense and at the same time very moist - but completely homogeneous. The more water gets into the filling, the juicier the khinkali will be.

   The filling should be quite dense and at the same time very moist.

6. The dough is very simple - flour, salt, water. Sometimes, but rarely, an egg is added. The dough should be very soft, roll out well and not stick to your hands. Many recipes offer fairly complex dough preparation technologies. But for beginners, don’t overthink it, make a simple dough. Perhaps over time, when the products are obtained without defects, you can start experimenting with the dough.

   The dough is very simple - flour, salt, water

7. Sift the flour into a deep bowl, add 1-2 pinches of salt. Mix the flour and salt with a fork and, adding ice water to the flour in small portions, knead the dough. When the dough is soft and elastic, continue to knead the dough on a floured surface. The process of preparing the test is quite labor-intensive, I almost said tedious. But the better the dough is mixed, the better you will do.

   Knead soft dough

8. Next are two options. First: Roll out the dough into a long “sausage” with a diameter of about 30-35 mm and cut the dough into pieces 25-30 mm wide with a knife. Second: Using your hands, divide the dough into pieces the size of a walnut, simply pinching off the dough.

   Using your hands, divide the dough into pieces the size of a walnut.

9. You can roll out the dough on a table sprinkled with flour, or on a special board, if you have one. The rolling pin and table should be constantly sprinkled with a small amount of flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Although if everything is done correctly, the dough will not stick at all.
10. Roll out lumps of dough into flat cakes with a diameter of 10-12 cm - approximately like an out-of-fashion CD. In this case, the thickness of the dough should be 1-1.5 mm. There is no need to roll it out any thicker. Firstly, too much dough and the dish will turn out tough. Roll out thinner - during cooking the shell will be damaged and the broth will leak out, the dish will be spoiled. Look for the golden mean!

    Roll out lumps of dough into flat cakes with a diameter of 10-12 cm

11. Next comes the hardest part. Place the filling on a round cake of dough, in the center. Decide for yourself how much filling, but I think that a tablespoon of filling will be just right. And start pinching, creating folds, at least 20. Although, it’s unlikely that anyone will count them. Or will it be?

    Place the filling on a round cake of dough, in the center.

12. I'll tell you right away - it's difficult. I rejected the first ten. Although the marriage was then eaten up instantly. Does everyone know how to fold an accordion out of paper? The principle is the same. Using your fingers, carefully fold the edges of the dough, placing the next fold on the previous one, and so move around the circle. It is important not to let the assembled folds out of your fingers and to avoid any gaps or damage in the dough.
13. When all the folds are assembled, the dough products resemble a slightly pot-bellied onion. Pinch the gathered pleats to seal the top and twist the top slightly to curl the pleats. If the top is thick, you can pinch it off. By the way, you can generally pinch off the top as much as possible.

    Khinkali resembles a slightly pot-bellied onion

14. I usually then freeze the dough products on a board in the freezer - it’s so convenient for me.

How to cook khinkali

15. Pour a lot (!) of water into a large (!) saucepan (cauldron, vat). Salt the water a little.
    I remembered a student joke: “To be talked about in the student dormitory as a gourmet, all you have to do is throw a bay leaf into the water when cooking dumplings.”
16. So, you don’t need to throw anything into the water - just slightly salted water. The water should be boiling. Throw the khinkali one at a time into boiling water, and make sure that they do not stick to the bottom. If they suddenly stick, usually this happens at the first moment, carefully and easily lift them with a wooden spoon. They won't stick the second time.
17. Cook in slightly boiling water for about 12-15 minutes. Boiling time depends on the size. Khinkali, like any other minced meat products in dough, tend to float.

If you say that khinkali are the same dumplings, only in a different shape, the residents of Georgia will not understand this. After all, they know that preparing khinkali is an art. It's not just putting minced meat on a flatbread and pinching the edges as best you can. The dumplings themselves must be assembled according to all the rules. Collect it in a bag with folds. It is considered especially chic and an indicator that the hostess is a great craftsman to make at least 20-24 such folds. Special mistresses make 36.

This is how they make khinkali. Place minced meat on the rolled out circle of dough. The edges of the flatbread are lifted up and connected, making small folds from the dough with your hand, like pleated or corrugated. The shape should be a pouch with a tail of dough pulled together at the top. Here there are two options: either the tail is torn off by pinching it with your fingers, or left. This is what you like best. Some people like to eat khinkali while holding it by the tail.

By the way, if you try khinkali at a party, do not eat it with a knife and fork, because... All the juice will flow out, and you will offend the hostess. After all, she tried so hard to preserve this juice: she gathered the dough into folds so that it would not tear, she selected the meat correctly, with a little fat, so that it was juicy. This juice is where the real flavor of khinkali lies. Therefore, they are not cut with a knife or pierced with a fork, but taken with their hands and bitten so that the juice gets into the mouth and not onto the plate.

Khinkali - food preparation

To prepare the dough, use the most common products as for dumplings - flour, water and eggs. The flour is sifted and unleavened dough is kneaded. But you need to knead it especially conscientiously and thoroughly so that it is elastic. After all, the dough should not tear during cooking, so that the delicious broth does not leak out.

For khinkali, the meat is ground in a meat grinder with a large grid. Add salt and seasonings. But opinions are divided regarding greens - half of Georgia adds greens to the minced meat - cilantro, mint, etc., while the other does not, only meat, salt, pepper. For minced meat, it is better to use a mixture of beef and lamb with fat, but you can also cook it with pork. The minced meat should be juicy, slightly runny, so they add, or rather beat in, water into it.

Khinkali - the best recipes

Recipe 1: Georgian Khinkali

The most popular recipe for making khinkali. This recipe contains added greens. By the way, they roll out real khinkali one piece at a time. But if this seems like a long task for you, you can roll out a thin large layer and cut out many circles at once. You just need to take the diameter of the recess larger than a glass. For example, cut out flat cakes with a saucer. The diameter of the circle should be approximately 10-15 centimeters.

Ingredients: Dough – egg – 1, flour – 3 cups, butter. – 2-3 tablespoons, salt, water – 1.5 cups. Filling – 1 kg of meat (0.3 kg of lamb + 0.7 kg of beef), 1 onion, bunch of cilantro, Svan salt – 1 tsp.

Cooking method

Mix the ingredients for the dough, add flour and knead the mixture thoroughly. Let the dough rest for a while and in the meantime prepare the minced meat.

Grind the cilantro, onion and meat, preferably in a meat grinder with a large grid. Salt, add Svan salt (or ground coriander). Stir the minced meat; if it is a little dry, add a little water, about half a glass. Add water little by little and stir immediately.

You can start assembling the khinkali. Roll out a thick layer, about 1 cm thick. Cut out circles with a small glass, and then roll out the circles into thin flat cakes. Make a portion of khinkali and boil it. After surfacing, they are boiled for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size.

Recipe 2: Homemade Khinkali

When making khinkali, you need to try to roll out the dough thinner, but so that it does not tear and the broth remains inside. These dumplings are eaten with your hands. They take it by the tail, bite it, drink the juice, then eat the minced meat with dough. It turns out like a hot soup with meat in portioned dough pots.

Ingredients: dough – half a kilo of flour, salt, water – 1 glass. Filling - 300g of meat (pork, beef, lamb, or better yet a mixture of them), a bunch of cilantro, 1 onion, 1 slice of crackers or dried bread, pepper, salt, 70g of meat broth (or 50 ml of water + 50g of melted butter).

Cooking method

Grind the bread, onions and meat coarsely in a meat grinder. Add chopped cilantro and broth or water with butter, salt and stir.

Sift the flour, add the remaining ingredients and knead the dough. Let it rest for 40 minutes and roll it out. Make khinkali and boil. Serve sprinkled with coarse black pepper.

Recipe 3: Juicy Khinkali

Khinkali is juicy on its own. But the cream that is added to the minced meat gives it additional, double juiciness. They eat khinkali with their hands, holding the tail. The tail itself is usually not eaten, because... it turns out a bit harsh, it is placed on the edge of the plate. If you can't find all three types of meat, cook with one or two. But it is precisely this combination of meat varieties, as in the recipe, that makes the filling more tasty.

Ingredients: dough - 0.5 l water, salt, flour. Filling – 1 kg of minced meat (a mixture of beef, lamb and pork), cream – 200-250 ml (10-15%), salt, pepper and nutmeg, half a teaspoon, 1 onion.

Cooking method

Salt the flour, add water, knead the dough. It must be mixed thoroughly for about ten minutes. It should be soft and pliable. Not tight and rubbery. Let it rest for 40-50 minutes. Then you can roll it out.

Take ready-made minced meat or grind the meat. Add chopped onion (grate, twist or finely chop), sprinkle with salt, nutmeg, pepper, pour in cream. Mix everything into a homogeneous mass.

Place the minced meat on a flat piece of dough, 10-12 cm in diameter, and collect it in a bag with folds, like an accordion. Make sure that the hole on top is well sealed. The shape of khinkali vaguely resembles a head of garlic with a tail. Throw the molded bags into boiling water and after boiling, boil for five to seven minutes. Serve sprinkled with pepper.

— If you are sculpting khinkali for the first time, it will be difficult for you to immediately make the correct folds with your fingers, so you can simplify the process. Place a circle of dough between your thumb and index finger, joining them into a ring. Place the minced meat on the flatbread, press the “rings” into the hole and squeeze your fingers - the bag is ready.

— When the khinkali are cooked, before taking them out, add a glass of cold water to the pan. This lowers the temperature a little so that they are not very hot when they are eaten with their hands. Then remove the khinkali with a slotted spoon, sprinkle with pepper, pour over melted butter and serve.

— when cooking khinkali, it is not customary to stir with a spoon or slotted spoon, so as not to damage the shell. And so that they do not stick to the bottom, the pan must be gently shaken.

Today we’ll talk about khinkali, a traditional Georgian dish. At first it was prepared only in the mountainous regions of Georgia. But later it spread throughout the Caucasus and beyond. It's very tasty and filling!

This dish is made from dough, mainly with meat filling. And this reminds us of manti or dumplings with meat. But their preparation has its own characteristics. For a classic tight dough, you only need flour and water. But many people add vegetable oil and eggs for elasticity.

You need to not be lazy and be sure to sift the flour so that it “breathes” oxygen. The dough is kneaded for quite a long time in several approaches with breaks in which it is necessary to let it rest, preferably in the refrigerator. Thin round cakes are rolled out of it, about 2 mm thick and 12-15 cm in diameter. Moreover, the edges should be thinner than the middle.

They put the filling in them and mold them, connecting the edges together with folds, like in a pleated skirt, tightly squeezing the “waist” and forming a tail. It is customary for there to be at least 18 folds. And the more there are, the more skillful the housewife is considered. When put together, khinkali resemble a bag or garlic.

They differ not only in appearance from dumplings, etc., but also in filling. Initially, it consisted of lamb and fat tail fat, chopped with a dagger. Nowadays beef and pork are also used. The meat is still chopped into small pieces or ground into minced meat in a meat grinder.

The filling should be juicy and moist (but not runny) so that juice or broth will release in the middle of the bag when cooked. To do this, add cold water to the meat and mix thoroughly for several minutes. Some people use broth, milk or cream instead of water. But many chefs consider this completely unnecessary. because water with meat is already broth.

It is also important to use a large amount of finely chopped onion for juiciness. The minced meat will turn out tastier and more aromatic if you add seasonings to it - garlic, cumin, suneli hops, pepper and cilantro. Georgian chefs advise leaving the minced meat for 20 minutes after adding spices and salt so that it marinates well. Khinkali is also prepared with other fillings: cheese or potatoes with fried onions.

In order to properly weld our bags, it is important to take into account some rules. It is better to sculpt as many pieces as will be boiled at once, because... Over time, the dough becomes wet due to the minced meat and may tear.

Important! When lowering it into boiling salted water, it is necessary to create a circulation (funnel) in it so that the bags do not stick to the bottom and to each other. It is better not to stir with a spoon so that the thin dough does not tear, but to twist or lightly shake the pan.

They eat the finished dish with their hands, holding it by the tail, carefully biting it so that the juice remains in the mouth. But the tight ponytail itself is not used.

These are the basic principles for preparing Georgian khinkali. But each chef makes his own adjustments based on experience and personal preferences. You will see this by reading the recipes that were selected today especially for you. Cook with pleasure! Involve your household. After all, sculpting bags is a very exciting process. You can even have a competition to see who can make the most folds!

How to cook khinkali at home?

In the first recipe for delicious homemade khinkali, we add vegetable oil to the dough. For the filling we use minced pork and beef with finely chopped onions and fresh cilantro leaves. And also spices: dried basil, cumin, black pepper.

It is better to rub the cumin (cumin) with your fingers so that it releases its aroma. If desired, you can add hot pepper. When working with it, be careful - do not touch your eyes with your hands so as not to burn them.

And one more tip: To prevent the water from bubbling in the pan, add cold water before removing the khinkali.

For the test you will need:

• Flour – 500 gr.
• Vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. spoon
• Water – 250 ml.
• Salt – 1 teaspoon

For filling:

• Minced pork and beef – 1 kg 100 gr.
• Cilantro – 2 bunches
• Dried basil – 1 tbsp. spoon
• Zira – 0.5 teaspoon
• Hot red pepper – 1 pc.
• Ground black pepper – 0.5 teaspoon
• Onions – 150 gr.
• Salt – 0.5 teaspoons
• Water – 200 ml.

Preparation:

1. Prepare the dough: sift the flour through a sieve.

Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in 250 ml of water.

Let's start kneading. The dough should be steep (tighter) than for dumplings. After the ingredients are combined, add vegetable oil and salt.

Knead the dough (preferably with your hands) until elastic, 15 - 20 minutes.

Then let the dough, wrapped in a bag, rest for 30-60 minutes aside.

2. Make the filling: cut the onion into cubes, add a little salt, mix with minced meat.

We also add the remaining ingredients to it: salt, basil, black pepper, cumin (first crush it with your fingers or in a mortar), chopped red pepper. Mix everything.

Pour water into the minced meat to make it liquid. At the end, add finely chopped cilantro and taste. If necessary, add more salt.

3. Form the khinkali: sprinkle the board with flour. Cut a piece of dough and roll it into a “sausage”.

Mode in pieces of 18 - 20 ml.

Press the pieces in the middle with your fingers to make circles.

We begin to roll them out with a rolling pin from the middle to the edges.

Place about one teaspoon of minced meat into the dough.

We take one edge of the flatbread and form the dough in a circle with folds.

At the end, press the neck well at the top so that the tails stick together well.

4. Place the pan on the fire and bring to a boil. We put khinkali and salt in it. At the same time, stir the water until it boils again. Cook for 10 minutes.

Our delicacy is ready!

Recipe for making khinkali with meat

This recipe will already contain finely chopped lamb with the addition of the same spices as, but without basil. The dough consists of water and flour, even without salt. Knead it for a very long time until it has a smooth, homogeneous consistency and let it rest.

For convenience, place the rolled out flatbread on a saucer, place a spoonful of filling in the middle, and make a bag. If you can’t make the required number of folds, don’t be upset. After all, this will not affect the taste at all. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper before serving. Try it and you will succeed!

Ingredients:

• Lamb – 450 gr.
• Onion – 1 pc.
• Zira – 1 pinch
• Cilantro – 1 bunch
• Flour – 3 cups
• Water – 1.5 cups
• Salt - to taste
• Black pepper – 10 gr.

Preparation:

1. Sift the flour into a bowl, add water to it.

Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. It has to be cool, this process is quite long.

There is a general rule for preparing dough for khinkali: there should be half as much water as flour.

2. Cover the dough with cling film and place it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

3. Chop the meat into small pieces with a knife, approximately into minced meat.

Chop the onion into cubes.

We also chop the cilantro.

4. Mix all the chopped ingredients in a container, add cumin, salt and pepper to them.

Pour 150 - 200 ml of water into the minced meat.

5. Roll the dough into a “sausage” and form into thick pieces. Take one piece of dough, sprinkle with flour and roll out into a circle (ideal thickness 2 mm).

Place one spoonful of minced meat in the center and cover the khinkali with folds in a circle. We fasten it well.

6. Cook in boiled salted water for 10 minutes. Make sure that the khinkali does not burn to the bottom, stir gently.

7. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle pepper on top.

How to cook delicious and juicy khinkali

To prepare these juicy Georgian delicacies, make the dough with eggs, very, very thick. For the filling, grind everything in a meat grinder: beef, onion and cilantro. And sculpt, creating the shape of a garlic. Don't forget to make a funnel in the boiling water when you add them to cook.

You can taste them family-style, at home, whichever you prefer, seasoned with vinegar and pepper or anointed with butter or sour cream. In any case, it will be delicious!

For the test:

• Flour – 1.5 kg.
• Egg – 2 pcs.
• Water – 500 ml.
• Salt – 0.5 teaspoon

For filling:

• Minced beef – 2 kg.
• Onion – 1 kg.
• Cilantro – 100 gr.
• Salt - to taste
• Pepper - a pinch
• Water – 1 glass

Preparation:

1. Break eggs into sifted flour. Dilute salt in water. Pour into flour.

Mix everything together and begin to knead into a thick, elastic dough.

2. Grind the meat, cilantro and onion through a meat grinder.

Add salt and pepper to the minced meat. Pour boiled chilled water. Mix well.

3. Cut off a piece of dough and roll it into a “sausage”. Cut into thick pieces.

Dip the pieces in flour and roll out very thin. Place about a tablespoon of minced meat in the middle.

We mold the dough in a circle in the form of “garlic”.

4. Put the water on the fire, bring to a boil, add salt. Make a “circle” in boiling water with a spoon so that the dough does not stick to the bottom. We put the stuck blanks there one at a time. Cook over medium heat for 7 minutes.

Recipe for Georgian khinkali with suluguni cheese

And this recipe is ideal for those who love Georgian cuisine, but do not eat meat. For the filling in this version we will need brine suluguni cheese, the fattest one. We pass it through a meat grinder.

Add melted butter, egg yolks and crushed garlic to the cheese. In this case, the dough should be quite soft, but not stick to your hands. When we make folds when sculpting the bag, the edges can be stretched a little. Sprinkle the finished khinkali with pepper and cilantro (it goes very well with suluguni, so you can add it to the filling). The taste is simply fantastic!

Ingredients for the dough:

• 2 cups of flour
• Water – 1 glass
• Salt – ¼ teaspoon

For filling:

• Suluguni – 700 gr.
• Butter – 3 tbsp. spoons
• Egg – 2 pcs.
• Garlic – 2 cloves
• Cilantro - for decoration

Preparation:

1. Make the dough: sift flour into a bowl, add salt and water.

Knead the dough for 15 minutes until it becomes soft and pliable.

2. For the filling, grind the suluguni cheese through a meat grinder (you can grate it).

Melt the butter and add to the flour. Add the eggs and squeeze the garlic through the garlic press. Mix the ingredients. You can add a little salt.

3. Divide the dough into small pieces, roll them out to 15 mm in diameter. Place a small spoonful of minced meat in the center of the dough.

Form into the shape of garlic: fold the edges of the dough with folds.

4. Cook the dish in boiling salted water for 10 minutes.

Decorate the finished dish with cilantro leaves.

Cooking khinkali at home according to a Georgian recipe:

Fresh fatty lamb with fat tail fat is needed for this Caucasian dish. Finely chop them into pieces, add a lot of onion, salt and pepper to taste. The filling is ready. Please note that this option does not use water. But nevertheless, the juice inside the bag is released due to the fat, lard and juiciness of the onion. The dough of these khinkali contains olive oil and eggs.

Unlike previous recipes, here we roll out the dough and squeeze out circles, rather than rolling out each flatbread separately. And we definitely eat khinkali with our hands to enjoy the delicious broth!

Ingredients:

• Flour – 1 kg.
• Water – 2 glasses
• Egg – 2 pcs.
• Olive oil – 2 tbsp. spoons
• Salt - to taste

For filling:

• Fatty lamb meat – 1 kg.
• Fat tail fat – 200 gr.
• Onions – 0.5 kg.
• Salt – 0.5 teaspoon
• Pepper – 0.5 teaspoon

Preparation:

1. Prepare the dough: break two eggs into two glasses of warm water, add salt and butter. Beat everything until smooth.

Cover the finished dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest.

2. For the filling, chop the meat, lard and onion very finely.

Salt, pepper and mix thoroughly.

3. Roll out the dough into one layer, cut out circles with a diameter of 12 cm. Place one tablespoon of minced meat on each circle.

Gather the edges of the dough into small folds in a circle. We secure them firmly on top.

4. Place khinkali in boiling water. Gently mix them.

Cover the pan with a lid. After the water boils, reduce the heat and cook the khinkali for 20 minutes.

How to beautifully sculpt khinkali at home?

And the final point is useful tips. Here you can see in detail how to roll out each circle correctly, shape a bag so that the juice released from the meat does not leak out anywhere and is preserved inside.

And also learn the secret of how to lower the bags into boiling water, each one separately, so that they do not stick together or tear. We can always learn something, because there is no limit to perfection!

Gain knowledge, become better! Have fun cooking with your whole family or friends! Enjoy delicious food and the results of your labor!

Khinkali is a traditional Georgian dish that every housewife can prepare. Cooking khinkali is a real art and a very exciting process. How to make khinkali correctly, read about all the intricacies of the process below.

Secrets of making khinkali

The ingredients for the Georgian dish are the same as for making dumplings. You will need meat, water, dough flour and knowledge to prepare a delicious dish.

What you need to know:

• The dough is prepared in several stages, thoroughly kneaded so that it turns out soft, elastic and does not tear.
• While the dough is resting, you can start preparing the meat. The minced meat is not minced in a meat grinder, but cut into small pieces with a sharp knife. The traditional filling of khinkali is lamb; variations from lamb and pork are also possible. And if this type of meat is not available, then pork and beef are used. Onions are an essential ingredient in minced meat, but it is also undesirable to grind them in a meat grinder. You'll have to chop it with a knife. Then you can count on a juicy dish. Be sure to enrich the minced meat with seasonings: cilantro, mint, dill and parsley.
• How to sculpt: the sculpting process is a very exciting activity. You need to roll out a layer of dough (5 cm thick), cut out circles with a glass, roll out with a rolling pin (up to 15 cm). The minced meat is laid out in the middle, and then you need to gather the dough with your fingers and lift it up to form a bag. Ideal and real khinkali have exactly 36 folds. This is the pinnacle of khinkali cooking. For the first time, about 20 folds will be enough. Pinch the dough tightly so that the khinkali remains juicy and the juice does not leak out during boiling. By the way, you don’t need to put too much filling so that there is free space in the bag.
• Cook khinkali in a large saucepan in small batches. It is important that there is enough space in the container. As a rule, khinkali are not stirred during cooking, but only shake the pan so that they do not stick to the bottom of the container. If it is so difficult to adapt, then you can very carefully move the khinkali with a wooden spatula. The water should not boil too much, otherwise the bags will open. Cook khinkali for about 20 minutes.
• What to serve with? Khinkali is served hot, sprinkled thickly with ground black pepper. There are no utensils provided, because it is customary to eat khinkali with your hands. First, a small piece is bitten off so that the juice does not leak out, then the rest is eaten.

How to make khinkali

To prepare the dough correctly, you will need:

• 3 cups flour;
• egg;
• 2 tablespoons oil;
• 1.5 glasses of water;
• 1 teaspoon salt.

For minced meat:

• 700 g lamb;
• 300 g beef;
• 2 onions;
• a bunch of cilantro;
• salt with herbs.

How to knead the dough:

• Sift the flour (half the portion) through a sieve directly onto the table, form a mound with your palms, and make a hole to pour out the butter and egg. It is best to use olive oil.
• The dough is kneaded slowly and salted water is gradually added. The water should be cold. The dough will be soft and pliable at first.
• Cover it with a clean cotton napkin and leave for half an hour.
• Then the remaining flour is added, the dough is kneaded again for 7-10 minutes, then rest again for 30 minutes.
• The dough is kneaded again until it becomes elastic so that it does not stick to your hands. If it sticks, you can add just a little flour.
• The dough can be made in advance and stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How to make khinkali:

• Meat, onions and herbs need to be chopped with a knife, crushed with a mixture of salt and spices, and mixed. If the minced meat is dense, add 100 ml of water. Add water in small portions, stirring the minced meat.
• The dough is rolled out into a thin layer and circles are squeezed out.
• Place 1 tbsp in the middle of each circle rolled out with a rolling pin. fillings. Khinkali is pinched gradually, scrolling in a circle, forming folds.
• Boil khinkali in water with added salt for 15 minutes in small batches.

Khinkali was first prepared in the mountainous regions of Georgia, but soon the recipe was learned in other regions of the Caucasus. In fact, the similarity between khinkali and dumplings lies only in the composition of the dough and filling, since preparing a Georgian dish requires real skill, because khinkali is molded like a bag with pleats such as pleated or corrugated and there must be at least 18 folds. The more skillful the housewife, the more she makes folds, some Georgian craftswomen prepare khinkali with 36 folds, which is considered the pinnacle of culinary art. Another feature of khinkali is its very juicy filling, which is meat in broth, and you need to prepare the dish in such a way that the filling does not leak out. In general, khinkali is a dish that is not made in a hurry; it needs to be prepared “with feeling, with sense, with care”, choosing a free day, for example a weekend. You can involve the whole family in this activity - it will be fun!

How to prepare khinkali dough

The classic dough is kneaded from water and flour, without adding eggs, but modern housewives use eggs and vegetable oil - this dough turns out tastier and more elastic. However, many Georgian chefs categorically reject all kinds of additives, especially eggs, arguing that the yolks turn the unique khinkali dough into ordinary pasta. It is advisable to take durum flour and be sure to sift it so that it is saturated with oxygen, and the ideal ratio of water and flour is 1:2.

The dough is kneaded in 3-4 stages, resting in between - this method makes it possible to obtain a tight dough.

How to properly prepare the filling for khinkali

Once upon a time in Georgia, the filling for khinkali was made only from lamb, but now cooks more often use beef, veal and pork, mixing different types of meat, and sometimes lamb is added to the minced meat for a piquant taste. In classical cooking methods, meat is not ground in a meat grinder, it is finely chopped with a very sharp knife - like onions, and then broth, milk, cream or boiled water is added to this mass. In order for the meat to be chopped well, it must first be placed in the freezer for 15 minutes.

The minced meat should not float in the water, but should not remain dry, so add so much water so that the filling is juicy, but not liquid - until it has the consistency of thick sour cream. If you decide to grind the meat through a meat grinder, use a grid with large holes, then the filling will be similar to the traditional one, which is prepared in the mountainous regions of Georgia. You can add garlic, cumin, suneli hops, pepper and cilantro to the minced meat - with seasonings it will turn out much tastier. Georgian chefs advise leaving the minced meat for 20 minutes after adding spices and salt so that it marinates well.

Making khinkali correctly

Roll out the finished dough into a layer 5 mm thick, cut out circles with a regular glass, then roll each into a flat cake with a diameter of up to 15 cm and a thickness of 2 mm. Place a tablespoon of minced meat on the flatbread, lift the edges and fold them together in a circle. Use the fingers of one hand to hold the finished folds, and with the other hand continue to make new ones - soon you will have a neat bag into which you need to pour a teaspoon of broth or the juice released from the minced meat. Next, the folds are connected into a beautiful and tight knot, which is sometimes twisted and cut. If you don't have time to make folds, just connect the edges of the cake in the form of a bag. By the way, in order for the products to cook well, you need to take 100 g of minced meat per 100 g of dough.

How to cook khinkali

Khinkali is boiled in salted water with bay leaves, trying to prevent them from sticking to the bottom. It is important to understand how long to cook khinkali so that the minced meat is ready, but the products are not overcooked. After the khinkali float to the surface, cook them for about 10 minutes, and then scoop them out with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate. How long to cook khinkali depends on their size, but it is better to cook no longer than 20 minutes, otherwise they will boil. Khinkali in a multicooker turns out no less tasty - to do this, you need to pour water into the multicooker bowl, add a bay leaf, turn on the “Soup” mode, and when the water boils, put the khinkali in and cook for 15-20 minutes. You can also steam them y, placing the products on a greased steaming bowl y, in this case the cooking time will be approximately half an hour.

Serve hot, poured with melted butter, with coarse pepper, herbs, sour cream and tkemali sauce - after all, this is a Georgian dish! They eat khinkali with their hands, holding it by the tail, carefully biting it so that the juice remains in the mouth. If you use a knife and fork, you won’t get any pleasure from eating, because the juice will remain on the plate.

A few secrets on how to cook khinkali at home

Some chefs advise not to skimp on onions for minced meat, recommending taking three onions per half a kilo of meat so that the filling is juicier and tastier. Knead the minced meat for at least 15 minutes - the longer you do this, the better the liquid is absorbed, and the filling will be more uniform, soft and juicy.

Do not put too much filling on the flatbread, otherwise there will be no room left for the broth, and connect the folds of the khinkali in such a way that there is not even a small hole left for the juice to flow out.

Make as much khinkali as you can cook in a pan at the same time, otherwise the dough will become soggy from the wet filling. Georgian “dumplings” should not be cramped - let them float freely, otherwise they will stick together and become deformed. In Georgia, khinkali are not stirred during cooking, but are carefully shaken so as not to stick together. Before removing the khinkali from the pan, pour a glass of cold water into it so that they are not too hot before serving.

Homemade khinkali: step-by-step recipe with photos

Ingredients: for the dough: flour - 3 cups, water - 1.5 cups, vegetable oil - 3 tbsp. l., egg - 1 pc., for filling: beef - 700 g, lamb - 300 g, onion - 2 pcs., cilantro - 1 bunch, Svan salt - 1 tsp.

If you don’t have Svan salt, you can make this seasoning yourself, which includes medium or coarse table salt, chopped garlic, dried cilantro (can be replaced with coriander), dried dill or its seeds, ground red pepper. Ground cumin, saffron and crushed fenugreek pods are also added to Svan salt.

Cooking method:

1. Pour half the flour into a mound, make a well, pour the oil into it and break the egg.

2. Knead the dough, gradually adding slightly salted cold water. You should get a homogeneous and soft mass.

3. Let the dough rest for half an hour, covered with a towel.

4. Add the remaining flour and knead the dough well again for 10-15 minutes.

5. Leave the dough again for half an hour under the towel.

6. Knead the dough one last time - if it seems sticky, add a little more flour. Wrap the dough in cling film - in this form it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

7. Scroll through a meat grinder or finely chop the meat and onions.

8. Finely chop the cilantro.

9. Add salt to the minced meat and knead it well, gradually adding 0.5 cups of water.

10. Roll out the dough and cut out circles 2-3 mm thick with a glass.

11. Place 1 tbsp in the middle. l. filling, lift the edges and pinch the “bag” with folds, as described above.

12. Boil water with bay leaf in a large saucepan.

13. Drop a small amount of khinkali and cook for 15 minutes.

14. Serve the dish on the table piping hot, pouring butter, sour cream, any sauces, herbs and pepper.

The traditional khinkali recipe can be varied by using different types of dough and meat, unusual seasonings and additives. Khinkali made from yeast dough is very tasty; many housewives also add vegetables to meat or prepare vegetable, cheese and mushroom khinkali, and serve sweet khinkali with dried fruits and nuts as a dessert.

Khinkali with pumpkin

These khinkali, reminiscent of manti with pumpkin, are good during Lent. Knead unleavened dough from 300 g of wheat flour, 2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil, a pinch of salt and water, and just enough water is needed to make a soft and fairly stiff dough. After this, cover the dough with a towel and start filling.

Cut 300 g of pumpkin pulp, cleared of seeds and peel, into pieces, finely chop the onion and 50 g of lard, and then mix all the ingredients. Roll out the dough into a layer, cut out circles with a glass, roll out the flatbreads and place the filling in the middle of each. Lift the edges of the tortillas and make nice folds all around, bring them together and pinch them well. Boil the khinkali in salted water for 10 minutes after floating to the surface. Serve with sour cream and herbs.

Khinkali with chicken and cheese

This is a very tasty and original dish that children love very much. Knead the dough from 500 g of flour, 1 egg, a pinch of salt and about 1 glass of water - the dough should be non-sticky and elastic. Leave it for a while and prepare the filling. Pass 400 g of chicken fillet and 1 onion through a meat grinder, although you can grind the meat and onions in a blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste, 50 ml of meat broth and 100 g of any grated cheese to the minced meat. Mix all the ingredients well into a homogeneous mass, and then cut out circles from the dough, fill them with minced meat and wrap the edges on top like a bag. Boil khinkali for 15 minutes and serve with creamy sauce.

Khinkali is not just food, but a real symbol of Georgia; they treat this dish with great reverence. In some areas, khinkali are made smaller than dumplings, in others - the size of a soup bowl, with different fillings and spices used. Prepare khinkali according to different recipes, they are all unusual, bright and incredibly tasty!